Australia’s first domestic violence refuge for women and children has been added to the NSW State Heritage Register, recognising a legacy of creating safe places for women.
Established in 1974, the former Elsie Refuge in Glebe was founded to shelter and advocate for women experiencing domestic and family violence during the Women’s Liberation Movement.
Prominent activists of the Movement, included journalist and activist Dr Anne Summers and Bessie Guthrie, a pioneering advocate for victims of domestic and sexual violence in NSW.
In the 1970s in Australia, there was nowhere for women to go who were experiencing male violence at home.
Summers and Guthrie were among the activists who, using squatter’s rights to claim abandoned houses, created the Elsie Refuge to create a space where women could escape and talk openly about domestic violence.
A newly unveiled plaque placed outside the building on Sunday now reads: “Armed only with broomsticks, shovels and energetic determination, they changed the locks to establish residency and claimed squatter’s rights. On that day, 16 March 1974 the women declared Elsie Women’s Refuge Night Shelter open as Australia’s first emergency safe haven for women and children subject to domestic violence.”
The historic words were written by Catie Gilchrist for the Dictionary of Sydney.
Elsie Refuge celebrated its 50th anniversary earlier this year, marking a significant milestone in Australia’s fight against domestic violence.
What began as an activist-founded shelter became the catalyst for a nationwide effort, where more than 800 shelters across the country have been established. Elsie has acted as a guidepost and model for other refuges that successfully opened around NSW and Australia. It also brought the ongoing issue of domestic violence into the spotlight of social and political debates.
“”Elsie’s legacy is that of women creating safe places for other women. It stands as a testament to the thousands of lives it has protected and changed, and the bravery, tenacity and vision of the women who founded it,” said NSW Minister for Heritage, Penny Sharpe.
“The story of Elsie, and that of the Women’s Liberation movement, will continue to inspire action and advocacy to protect women and children.”
Sharpe says recognising Elsie Refuge on the NSW State Heritage Register is significant because the building “is an important piece of Australia’s social history”.
“The formal recognition ensures that this feminist story, and the stories of those it sheltered, will continue to be told.”
Recognising Elsie Refuge is also a timely reminder of the ongoing need for women and children to be able to access safe and affordable housing.
Minister for Women and the Prevention of Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, Jodie Harrison, said that Elsie Refuge “reminds us that providing secure and accessible housing is a vital part of protecting Australian women and children, including those experiencing domestic violence.”
“This heritage listing preserves Elsie’s legacy while reminding us there is more important work to be done to protect vulnerable families and provide them with the support they deserve.”